World Music CD Reviews Greater Latin America

Ojos De Brujo’s last album won a Grammy in the flamenco category —no small irony in light of the Barcelona collective’s outspokenly anti-commercial stance. Given that Techarí was assembled in the studio between concert performances, this hometown gig with special guests makes total sense. ODB is as tight as tight gets in performance. My advice: start with the 90-minute DVD included in this set, so you can absorb the multimedia graphics, dynamic interaction, vivid color, and insistent forward motion, especially among the dancers and the vocalists —then spin the CD with these images in your head. The main tributaries flowing into the band’s river of influences are fiery flamenco, hip-hop, rumba, world percussion, and an all-out punk attitude. What results is a vivid collective celebration of life, completely in the moment, with a clenched fist held high in the air. ¡Olé!